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mono·coque | \ ˈmä-nə-ˌkōk 
, -ˌkäk \
, -ˌkäk \Definition of monocoque
1 : a type of construction (as of a fuselage) in which the outer skin carries all or a major part of the stresses
2 : a type of vehicle construction (as of an automobile) in which the body is integral with the chassis — compare space frame, unibody
Examples of monocoque in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web This Defender, like its Range Rover cousins, is now an aluminum monocoque chassis, something that Land Rover says is three times stiffer than anything else the brand has built until now.
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Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "The 2020 Land Rover Defender is a 21st century take on a 4×4 icon," 12 Sep. 2019 Carbon fiber, aluminum and monocoque construction keep the car’s weight to about 4,000 pounds.
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Jeff Yip, Houston Chronicle, "Red-carpet rockets: Is 500 hp now theadmission price to supercar club?," 30 Aug. 2019 Now, the engine was bolted directly to the car's monocoque and served as the mounting point for the rear suspension, a practice still used by every F1 car and almost every sports prototype.
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Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "F1 2018: More than a great game, it’s an interactive history lesson," 17 Aug. 2018 Taking the monocoque of Mercedes-Benz E 63 S station wagon as a starting point, the GT 63 version applies a variety of stiffening elements and added structure to the front clip and transmission tunnel.
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Dan Neil, WSJ, "Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S: More Car Than Anyone Could Ever Enjoy," 5 Dec. 2018 The front section, including the cockpit survival cell and the jet engine's air intake, is a carbon fiber monocoque, similar to a top flight race car (and now the occasional road car).
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Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "Bloodhound SSC: How do you build a car capable of 1,000mph?," 24 Nov. 2018 The deets: Assembled by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, the 4,784-pound compact crossover is built on a palpably stiff aluminum monocoque dressed in alloy body panels.
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Dan Neil, WSJ, "2019 Jaguar I-Pace: An Electric SUV Hot on Tesla’s Heels," 21 Sep. 2018 Amazingly, the carbon fiber monocoque of the vehicle stayed largely intact, and Thompson suffered only minor bumps and cuts.
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Fox News, "Shocking video surfaces of Valerie Thompson's 343 mph motorcycle crash," 23 Mar. 2018 And crossover vehicles are just that, a crossover from a car to a utility vehicle with a monocoque or unibody construction.
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Bob Weber, chicagotribune.com, "Most SUVs are built more like cars than pickups, except Toyota 4Runner," 28 Jan. 2018
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'monocoque.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for monocoque
The first known use of monocoque was in 1913
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